Sugar-cane harvesting machine



March 21, 1950 1 M|YAG| SUGAR CANE HARVESTING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 3, 1949 INYENTOR.. 7&250 ffl/gygy@ ATTDRN EYS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEYS March 2l, 1950 T. MIYAGI SUGAR CANE HARvEsTING MACHINE Filed Feb. s, 1949 V www5 UN March 2l, 1950 T. MIYAGI SUGAR CANE HARvEsTING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 3, 1949 INVENTOR.

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ATTDRNEYE Patented Mar. 2l, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUGAR-CANE HARVESTING MACHINE Takeo Miyagi, Waipahu, Territory of Hawaii Application February 3, 1949, Serial No. 74,327

14 claims. l

The present invention relates to the general class of harvesters, and more particularly to improvements in sugar cane harvesters of the tractor propelled type especially designed for eiiicient work in the cane elds having uneven or irregular ground surfaces. For this purpose the tractor, or automotive vehicle, is equipped with a crane swiveled on an upright axis and adapted to swing in a vertical plane on a horizontal axis, upon which crane are carried and suspended various devices and appliances for harvesting a standing crop without injury to the roots, thus leaving the field in condition to grow a succeeding crop of sugar cane. In a harvesting operation in the eld the standing cane is cut, the out cane is gathered in horizontally extending piles or bundles, a second cutting mechanism clips or severs the leaves and tops from the cut cane, and then the bundled cane is conveyed to and deposited -upon harvesting trucks or carriers for hauling to the factory. Suitable operating appliances, power transmitting mechanism, cable hoists, and manually operated control mechanisms, are provided and utilized by one or more operators stationed on the automotive vehicle in carrying out the successive harvesting steps.

For optional use, means are provided for burning the trash before and during the harvesting operations, and for this purpose flame throwers or torches may be mounted on desirable portions of the equipment for disposing of the trash without inj-ury to the harvested crop.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction, and combinations and arrangements of parts as will hereinafter be described and more specically set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a complete example of a physical embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined and arranged in accord with one mode I have devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention. It will however be understood that changes and alterations are contemplated and may be made in these exemplifying drawings and structures, within the scope of my claims, without departing from the principles of the invention.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, showing a portion of a tractor equipped with the harvesting mechanism operating upon iurrowed soil, and indicating the llame throwers or torches for burning trash. Figure 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, with the main cutter in operative position and with the bundling mechanism associated 2 therewith. Figure 3 is a detail view of cable 0perating mechanism for the carriage.

Figure i is a side view of the crane carried y parts, showing by dotted lines diierent positions of the bundling and dumping mechanisms.

Figure 5 is a detail side view of the traction truck and gathering forks or tlnes.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view at line li-E of Fig. 7 through the motor operated main cane cutter; and Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional view at line l-l of Fig. 6.

Figure B is a transverse vertical sectional view at line 8-8 of Fig. 6. Figure 9 is a sectional view at line 9--9 of Fig. 1 showing the rear of the motor operated main cutter.

Figure 10 is a plan view of the horizontally disposed reciprocating main cutter and its linkage.

Figure l1 is a. sectional view at line l i-ll of Fig. l.

Figure l2 is a fragmentary plan view of the gathering cradle` for the cane. Figure 13, Figure 14, and Figure 15 show details of construction of the cradle. and gathering forks or tines.

Figure 16 is a detail view of the seven-way pulley mounted on the free end of the crane.

Figure 17 is a detail sectional view at line I'l-ll of Fig. 1; and Figure 18 is a detail sectional view thereof.

Figure 19 is a diagrammatic plan view of the gathering tines and conveying cradle.

Fig-ure 20 is an enlarged side elevation of the carriage; and Figure 21 is a vertical sectional view at line 2 |2l of Fig. 20.

In order that the general arrangement and utility'of parts may readily be understood, I have shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the front portion of a tractor T having endless chain treads E for steering by driving along the furrows of the cane eld. The tractor, or other automotive vehicle is equipped with a front open-work boom l hinged upon the deck of the tractor, and a hoisting cable 2 is attached at 3 to the boom and the crane is provided with the usual windlass mechanism (not shown) for swinging the boom ina vertical plane for adjustment of the harvester attachment and for moving the attachment to Near the inner pivot end of the boom a twoarm yoke 4 `is mounted -by a pin 5 and on the forward end of the yoke a fabricated beam 6 is mounted at the point 'l uponan upright pin 8 that is held at 9 in the front end of the yoke.

The yoke and the beam are bodily movable with the crane. and in addition the yoke and its beam inoperative position for transportation purposes.

are vertically adjustable with the boom by means of a cable I n attached at II near the outer free end of the beam, and the cable III is manually operated by suitable control means 'on the crane. As shown in detail in Fig. 21 the beam 6 is fabricated with a pair of oppositely arranged and latterally positioned channel plates I2, I2, that are rigidly united, as by welding at the opposite sides of the I-shaped core and the upper and lower flanges of these channel plates form guide rails or tracks for a reciprocating carriage I3 that is equipped with bearing rollers I4 and I4' journaled on transverse bolts I5 and I5', and adapted to roll on the tracks.

The reciprocable carriage, from which the harvesting mechanism is suspended, is pulled forward on the tracks toward the free or outer end of the beam by means of a cable I6 attached at I'I to the carriage, and the cable passes forwardly under and upwardly around one of the sheaves I8, journaled in the free end of the beam, thencerearwardly over one of the multiple pulleys I! iournaled at I9a in a swivel head lsb on the end of boom I, and from which the cable I5 extends to suitable rotary mechanism located on the tractor and manually controlled therein.

For the carriage a variable compensating loop 2l is formed in a retracting cable 61 (to be described hereinafter) Which loop is anchored on pulley 2| of the carriage at one end and on a complementary pulley 22 journaled on the boom. From pulley 22 the retracting cable 81 passes to and extends around one of the multi-pulleys I9, and thence to the crane; and lby joint control of the pulling cable I6 and the retracting cable 61, the carriage may be reclprocated on the beam, as well as retained in stationary position for harvesting operations as will be described.

The cable 61, therefore, extends from the crane on the tractor, over one of the pulleys I8, .back around one of the pulleys 22, around the pulley 2l, on the carriage I3, back over anotherof the pulleys 22, around a pulley 68 on the pin 5, and outwardly `to the bars 23 where it is attached to the bar 55.

For suspending and supporting the harvesting mechanism from the carriage, in the various harvesting steps, a carrier frame of approximate U- shape in cross section and triangular-shape in elevation in the form of a cage is mounted beneath the carriage and made up of a series oi laterally spaced and parallel tubular bars 23. rigidly attached at 24 and 25 to the under frame of the carriage, and this rigidly mounted cai-rter is movable with the carriage. c

Beneath the lower portion of the carrier frame is pivotally supported a wheeled truck adapted to forma flexible support as the harvesting mechanism passes over furrows or irregular ground surfaces, and for this purpose a Y countered on the ground surface.

In addition to the pivot mount 21 for the truck, the rear ends of the members 28 are flexibly connected by links 38 to the rear slotted ends 3| of laterally spaced lever arms 32, the front ends of which are iournaled on the cross bar33 that is suspended in brackets 34 from the bars 23 of the carrier frame in order that the truck may pivotally adapt itself to the irregularities in the ground surface, and also be limited in its movement with relation to the carrier frame.

For gathering the standing cane and guiding or feeding the cane in standing position to the primary or main cutter, a horizontally disposed series, of forks 35 with multiple tines projects from the front of the harvesting mechanism, and these forks are each provided with hubs 35 mounted on the cross bar 33. and fork-arms 32 projecting rearwardly from the hubs, andalocated beneath the carrier frame 23.

The hubs 36 are formed as illustrated in Figures 11 and l5 with the arms 32 providing centrally disposed tongues. with lugs at the ends, and with the tines 35 extended from the forward sides.

As the tines or forks of the gathering frame or gatherer 35 advance along the field theforks pass along the standing cane, and`in standing position the cane is cut near the roots, and for this purpose a plurality of cutters of the sickle type are horizontally mounted beneath the gathering forks.

The sickle type cutters are coupled by means of draw bars 38 and pivotal connections 38a to the forward part of the gathering frame, and the rear ends of the draw bars are anchored in blocks 39a of angular yokes 35. The arms of the yokes are pivotally attached by pins 40 to the sections 4i and 4Ia of the casings of electric motors 42 which have suitable flexible connections to a source of electric power.

The motor operated Vcutters glide over the surface of the ground being raised and lowered by the wheels 29 through the trucks 28 and arms 32 as the cutters pass over uneven terrain, whereby the cutters will remain comparatively close to the ground when in cutting position, as indicated in Figs. l and 3. The sickle type cutters include horizontally reciprocating cutters or serrated knife blades 43 that coact with stationary sickle teeth 44 projecting from the front of and integral with the bases 45 of the motor casings.

For operating the reciprocating knives, which are provided with rear cross heads 4B that are slidable with the cutters in the base frames 45, motion and power are imparted to the cutters through cranks and lever mechanisms including pitmans 41 pivotally mounted at 43 on the cutters, and crank arms 4S pivoted to the pitmans at 50.

The crank arms 43 are rigidly mounted upon the lower ends oi shafts 5| journaled in the section 4Ia of the casing which are rigidly mounted upon the motor casings and enclosed by covers 52, and the shafts are rotated through worm gears 53 keyed to the shafts for translating the rotary movement of the operating means to the reciprocating movement of the cutters. The worm gears are actuated or turned through the instrumentality of worms 54 on shafts 55, and the worm shafts are coupled in suitable manner to the shafts 55 of the motors.

The pivotally suspendedsickle cutters may be adjusted to various working positions, upon coupling joints 38a by means of a hoisting cable 5I that passes around one of the multi-sheaves I8 and pulleys I9, and thence to the control station on the tractor, and the front end of this cable terminates in out spreading branches 58a that ascuas are attached at IIb to the yokea 3l for adjusting the cutters.

The cane-gathering fork is also provided with a suspension cable l terminating in outspread;l ing branches 3l that are attached 'at l2 to the tines oi' the fork, for adjusting it to the crop to be harvested; and this cable also passes around the multi-pulleys I9 to rotary operating means on the tractor.

As the standing cane is cut by the sickle, the cut cane falls against and upon a combined bundle former and rack located to the rear of the gathering forks, and pivotally mounted by means of bearing hubs upon the journal bar 33, for coaction with the carrier frame in supporting the bundle being formed.

The rack includes a number of laterally spaced and parallel bars 83 that are shaped to correspond with the lower sections of the bars 23 between which they are positioned and these are united, as by welding, with spaced cross bars 84, and two larger cross bars 65 and 8B are attached under the upper curved or crook sections of the bars of the rack. The lower ends of the bars 83 are pivotally mounted on the cross rods 33 as shown in Figure 11. This open work rack is arranged to t snugly within the carrier frame while in retracted position to receive and retain the cane as it is cut, and when this piled or stacked cane forms a bundle of desired or ample size, the loaded rack is projected from the carrier frame with the cane in position, the leaves and tops have been burned off or clipped from the cane.

The cable 60 is attached to the cross bar .86 in such manner that a pull on the cable will cause the rack to swing on its pivot 33, forwardly and.

thereby dump the 4`bundle from the forks.

The retracung cable s1 is attached to the tu! bular bar 85 of the rack, andthis cable, after passing around a rear guide pulley 68 journaled on the crane, extends therefrom to the variable compensating loop 20 on the carriage, thence over one of the multi-pulleys I9 to the actuating mechanism of the tractor. By the joint control of the pulling cable and the retracting cable the carriage and the carrier frame 23 may be reciprocated on the carriage and the carrier frame 23 may be reciprocated on the beam, as well as retained in stationary position.

For the standing cane ahead of the cutters 43, a second set of self-contained, and motor-operated cutters of the sickle type, similar to the cutters 43, are shown at 69 and these are pivotally suspended from the shaft 'l0 of the multisheave I8 on the outer end of the beam 6. This second group. of cutters are rigidly mounted upon an angular frame 1|, and positioned transversely of the bundle of cane, and the side bars 12 of the frame are pivotally mounted or suspended on the shaft 10.

This cutter frame is provided with cross arms 13, and 13a integral with the side bars 'l2 of the frame, and the control cables for the frame and cutter, are attached to the arms. A cable I4 is attached at 15 to the cross arm 13a for swinging the frame and cutters on the shaft 10 to operating positions as shown in Fig. 2, and a retractlng cable 1B is attached to the oposite arm 13 of the cross head. The cables 'Il and 1B extend rearwardly over the multi-pulleys I9, and thence to the control station of the tractor for alternate use in swinging the frame and cutters into and out of operating positions. By a pull on cable 14 the cutters are swung downwardly and inwardly to the position shown in Figure 2 for cutting the standing cane ahead of the cutters I3. in order to prevent pulling the cane up by the roots by the tines .3l as the forks move upwardly to dump the cane, and after the cutting operation the frame and the cutter 39 are returned to the position shown in Figure Il. As the cutters 39 move downwardly a shield 89a packs the cut cane against the forks 36.

After retraction of the cutter 89 to positions of Figs. 1 and 4, the crane may be swung laterally to the dumping position, by turning the crane on the tractor, and by pulling on the cable III the rack is projected forwardly to eject the trimmed bundle of cane and dump or discharge the bundle into a Waiting truck for hauling to the factory.

For disposal of the trash from the cane, the gathering forks may be equipped with suitable llame throwers or torches as 13, and the frame for the second cutter 69 may also be equipped with a torch or burner 19, and these burners may be controlled by suitable means as desired, to burn the leaves, and tassels and clean the sugar cane, before the start of, or during the harvesting and loading operations.

As the harvester advances over the field of cane, these described operations are successively repeated, rand the machine is automatically adapted, by the pilot truck, for operating under varying conditions encountered in the surface of the field, or ground surface. mechanism approaches a hill or a furrow in an undulating surface, and the front ends of the times of the gathering fork tend to touch the ground surface, the wheels of the pilot truck in ascending the hill, and through the instrumentality of the linkage between the truck and the fork arms, lift the gathering fork free from the ground surface, thus automatically positioning the cutter 43 for continuous and constant service in cutting the cane near lts roots.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a sugar cane harvester including a tractor having a swiveled suspending crane, a beam carried by the crane, and a carriage reciprocable on the beam, the combination with a carrier frame rigid with the carriage, and a gathering fork pivotally mounted on the carrier frame, of a wheeled pilot-truck pivotally suspended from the carrier frame, and flexible connections between the truck and the gathering forli, for the purpose described. j

2. In the sugar cane harvester described, the combination with a supporting beam forming a track, a reciprocable carriage on the track, and a carrier frame rigid with the carriage, of a horizontally disposed gathering fork pivotally suspended on the carrier frame and rearwardly extending arms on the fork, a cutter flexibly mounted beneath the fork, a wheeled pilot-truck pivotally suspended from the carrier frame beneath the fork, and linkage connecting the fork arms with the rear end of the pilot truck.

3. In a pilot-truck assembly for the harvester described, the combination with a gathering fork having rearwardly extending arms, a cutter suspended from the fork, and a pivotal support for the fork, of a wheeled pilot-truck pivotally mounted beneath the fork, and linkage connecting the rear end of the truck with the fork arms for the purpose described.

4. 'I'he combination with a supporting beam forming a track, a reciprocable carriage on the As the harvesting track, and a U-shaped carrier frame rigid with the carriage, of a horizontally disposed gathering fork having a pivotal axis in the frame, a cane cutter mounted beneath the fork, a wheeled pilot truck pivotally supported beneath the fork and flexibly connected therewith, and an upwardly extending cane rack pivotally mounted on said pivotal axis.

5. In harvesting mechanism as described, the combination with a pivotally mounted gathering fork, a pivotally mounted and wheeled pilottruck mounted beneath the rear end of the fork, and linkage connecting the rear end of the truck with the rear end of the fork, oi a draw bar pivotally mounted beneath the front of the fork, a supporting yoke having a swivel joint with the rear end of the draw bar, and a horizontally disposed cutter pivotally mounted in the yoke.

6. In a sugarcane harvester as described, the combination with a supporting beam forming a track, a reciprocable carriage on the track, and

' a carrier frame rigid with the carriage, of` har- 'vesting mechanism pivotally mounted on the frame and a pivotally mounted rack to receive the harvested cane, a cutter frame pivotally mounted on the beam and operating means therefor, and cutting mechanism mounted on the cutter frame for trimming the cane on the rack.

7. In a sugar cane harvester as described, the combination with a supporting beam, a reciprocable carriage on the beam, and a carrier frame rigid with the carriage, of harvesting mechanism pivotally mounted on the frame, a rack pivotally mounted on the frame for receiving the cane, a cutter frame pivotally mounted on the beam and a cutter mounted on this frame, a cross head rigid with the cutter frame, and cable connections for the cross head adapted tov vary the position of the cutter and its frame.

8. In the harvesting mechanism described, the combination with pivotally mounted gathering forks and their pivotally mounted and wheeled pilot trucks, of draw bars hinged to the forks, motor casings pivotally mounted on the rear ends of the draw bars and cutter bars rigid with the casings, reciprocable cutter knives mounted in the casings for coaction with the cutter bars, motors mounted in the casings, and power transmission mechanism for translating the rotary motion of the motors into reciprocating motion of the knives.

9. The combination with a carrier frame, gathering forks pivotally suspended therein, and rearwardly extending slotted arms on the forks, of cutters flexibly connected with the front portions of the forks, wheeled pilot trucks located beneath the fork arms, and pivotal supports for the trucks on the carrier frame, and linkage pivotally connecting the rear ends of the trucks with the slotted arms of the forks.

10. In a sugar cane harvester, the combination which comprises, a crane having a boom and a plurality of actuating cables extended therefrom, a beamcarried by the boom, a carriage mounted to travel on the beam, a plurality of substantially horizontally positioned cane gripping forks suspended from the carriage, a plurality of cutters carried by the forks, a second set of cutters carried by the said beam for cutting standing cane ahead of the cutters carried by the forks, means elevating the cutters and forks by the cables, and means controlling the elevation of the cutters in relation to the ground over which the harvester is traveling.V

11. The invention as in claim 2 wherein the sugar cane harvester includes a tractor having a swiveled suspension crane and a boom having a horizontal axis on the crane, and said supporting beam is carried by the boom, means for retaining the carriage on the beam and variable supporting means for the carriage connecting the carriage with the boom.

12. The invention as in claim 2 wherein the carriage is providedwith rollers for retaining the carriage in operative position on the track, a supporting pulley on the carriage and a supporting pulley on the boom, and a supporting cable for the carriage looped about said pulleys.

13. The invention as in claim 2.wherein said sugar cane harvester comprises a crane having a boom-and a plurality of actuating cables extending therefrom and means is provided for elevat-V ing the cutter and fork by the cables.

14. The invention as in claim 2 wherein said sugar cane harvester comprises a crane having a boom and a plurality of actuating cables extending therefrom, means for elevating the cutter and fork bythe cables and means controlling the elevation of the cutter in relation to the ground over which the harvester is traveling.

' TAKEO MIYAGI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 683,775 Kirkpatrick Oct. 1, 1901 898,501 Pederson Sept. l5, 1908 1,283,073 Carey 'Oct. 29, 1918 

